This summer, Manchester United will undergo a transformation, with plenty of incomings and outgoings on the cards before the summer transfer window slams shut.
The midfield department is the area where most change could occur, with Christian Eriksen’s future unclear, but one player who could be guaranteed a spot in the starting eleven is Kobbie Mainoo.
Both players are at opposite ends of their careers, but one thing that the duo have in common is their immense technical ability and genuine love for the beautiful game.
With the two midfielders in mind, let’s take a look at a current United player who earns more than Eriksen and Mainoo while failing to justify doing so.
Antony’s start to life at Manchester United
Having arrived from Ajax for a whopping £82m prior to the 2022/23 season, the pressure on Antony to succeed was instantly apparent.
On first impressions, all the critics and concerns were silenced, as the Brazilian winger scored in his first three Premier League starts.
As the campaign progressed, the left-footed ace was heavily scrutinised for failing to have a real impact on any matches, but he still managed to have a say during key moments, such as his winning goal against Barcelona in the Europa League.
However, during the second half of the season, Antony’s performance levels decreased, with him scoring once in the Premier League during the new year.
Antony’s salary at Man United
Unfortunately, Antony’s performances followed a similar trajectory in his second season in England, with former United legend Rio Ferdinand even labelling him “embarrassing".
His blunt attacking play continued to frustrate, and it was not until the end of January that he got his first goal of the campaign.
It seemed as though the 24-year-old would go the entire season without finding the back of the net in the Premier League, but with just a handful of games to go, he scored in a 1-1 draw against Burnley.
This meant that across 38 appearances in all competitions, Antony scored just three times and produced two assists, with two of those contributions coming against Newport County. But what exactly does he earn at United?
Antony
£200k
Bukayo Saka
£195k
Heung-min Son
£190K
Trent Alexander-Arnold
£180k
Enzo Fernandez
£180k
Well, according to Capology, Antony is currently earning a salary of 200k per week, which equates to exactly £10.4m per year.
Therefore, with Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial no longer contracted at the club, the Brazilian international has become the fifth-highest earner at the club, only behind the likes of Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes.
This also means that he is one of the top earners in the entire division, even boasting a superior salary to that of Bukayo Saka, Heung-min Son, and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Furthermore, the midfield duo of Mainoo and Eriksen earn a collective £170k per week, which once again is 30k less per week than Antony earns on his own.
Given the impact that Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho had towards the end of the campaign, it is difficult to see a future where Antony makes the right-wing spot his own.
This means that Sir Jim Ratcliffe should look to move him on this summer, especially considering he’s contracted to the club until 2027, which means that unless his performance improves, he’ll continue to rinse the Red Devils.
Therefore, United must brutally ditch the Brazilian dud from the squad this summer if they can attract any tangible interest from teams who would be willing to either pay a fee for him or take on a sizeable chunk of his wages.
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1 ByTom LeverJun 7, 2024